Modelling the structural response of an eukaryotic cell in the optical stretcher

The cytoskeleton of an eukaryotic cell is a composite polymer material with unique structural (mechanical) properties. To investigate the role of individual cytoskeletal polymers in the deformation response of a cell to an external force (stress), we created two structural models – a thick shell mod...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current science (Bangalore) 2005-05, Vol.88 (9), p.1434-1440
Main Authors: Ananthakrishnan, Revathi, Guck, Jochen, Wottawah, Falk, Schinkinger, Stefan, Lincoln, Bryan, Romeyke, Maren, Käs, Josef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actins
Cell nucleus
Deformation
Endothelial cells
Fibroblasts
L cells
Lasers
Microtubules
Modeling
Stretchers
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Summary:The cytoskeleton of an eukaryotic cell is a composite polymer material with unique structural (mechanical) properties. To investigate the role of individual cytoskeletal polymers in the deformation response of a cell to an external force (stress), we created two structural models – a thick shell model for the actin cortex, and a three-layered model for the whole cell. These structural models for a cell are based on data obtained by deforming suspended cells, where each cell is stretched between two counter-propagating laser beams using an optical stretcher. Our models, with the data, suggest that the outer actin cortex is the main determinant of the structural response of the cell.
ISSN:0011-3891